Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking device for an opening and closing lid that covers, for example, a battery housing unit of a portable electronic device and the like.
Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic device is provided with a battery housing unit, which is apart of a case main body. In the battery housing unit, a dry battery or a storage battery is housed, and it is used as an operation power supply for the device.
The battery housing unit is also provided with an opening and closing lid that covers the housed dry battery or the like. One end portion of the opening and closing lid is pivotally supported to the case main body by a hinge mechanism. Then, on a free end side of the other end portion of the opening and closing lid, there is provided a locking device capable of locking in a state where the opening and closing lid is closed relative to the case main body.
As the above-described locking device for the battery opening and closing lid, a basic configuration may be exemplified in which a lock claw is formed on an opening and closing lid side and an engagement hole with which the lock claw engages is provided on a case side. According to this configuration, by the lock claw on the opening and closing lid side moving and fitting into the engagement hole on the case side, the locking device is locked in a state where the opening and closing lid is closed. Furthermore, by pulling opening the free end side where the lock claw is formed with a little force, the lock claw is moved and disengaged from the engagement hole on the case side, whereby a locked state can be released.
The above-described configuration of the locking device for the battery opening and closing lid is disclosed, for example, in JP 8-45490 A.
According to the locking device for the opening and closing lid, locking of the opening and closing lid is easily disengaged by applying a relatively small shock, vibration, and the like to the case main body or to the opening and closing lid. Accordingly, a battery may drop off from the battery housing unit and may cause inoperability of the electronic device.
Thus, in JP 11-25941 A, there is disclosed a locking device for the battery opening and closing lid in which a lock lever provided with a lock claw is slidably installed in the opening and closing lid, and a coil spring for holding the locked state is provided to the lock lever.
In the locking device for the opening and closing lid disclosed in JP 11-25941 A, a release knob is integrally formed to the lock lever, and the release knob is arranged so as to project above the opening and closing lid.
Thus, by operating the release knob, it is possible to slide the lock lever and perform unlocking of the opening and closing lid, whereby it is possible to improve operability of the unlocking.
Then, according to the opening and closing lid disclosed in JP 11-25941 A, a configuration is used in which the lock lever is energized in one direction (direction in which the lock claw abuts on a cabinet main body side) by the above-described coil spring. Thus, compared to the locking device for the opening and closing lid disclosed in JP 8-45490 A, it is possible to improve a problem in that the locked state of the opening and closing lid is easily disengaged.
Now, a transmitter of a wireless microphone system may be exemplified as a portable electronic device operating on a dry battery and the like. The transmitter is frequently used, for example, as a means for amplifying voice on a stage, in a studio, and the like. Since it is installed in a waist belt of a performer when used, it is sometimes called a belt pack transmitter.
Then, in a case where the performer performs a play with a relatively strenuous movement and the like in a state where the above-described transmitter is installed in the waist belt, for example, there is often a problem in that a battery lid of the transmitter opens in an unexpected state and a battery may drop off. Naturally, such dropping off of the battery makes amplification of the voice of the performer impossible.
Thus, there has been proposed a configuration in which ingenuity is used so as to provide the lock lever disclosed in JP 11-25941 A dually and to release the battery lid when two lock levers are slid. However, as disclosed in JP 11-25941 A, in a structure where a reaction force of a contact point of a coil spring holding holds the battery is applied to inside of the battery lid, for some reason, the battery lid may be held in a tilted and floating state while one lock lever is in an unlocked state. In this case, a problem may arise in that the battery lid opens in a moment any force acts on the other lock lever. Besides the structure in which the reaction force of the contact point of the coil spring is applied, the battery may also be swung by the strenuous movement. At this time, in a case where a rapid motion occurs in a direction where the battery pushes open the lid, the battery lid opens and the battery jumps out due to various causes such as inertia force acting on the battery and collision between the battery lid and the battery.
Thus, even in a case where the lock levers are provided dually as described above, the problem arises in that the battery lid carelessly opens, whereby further ingenuity is required to improve reliability of the locking device for the opening and closing lid.